


Guardians

by LettersByTheLake



Category: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda) - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Guardians - Freeform, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Shock, Temporary Character Death, Whump, Wind does not stay dead, Worried Warriors, fluff at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:14:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LettersByTheLake/pseuds/LettersByTheLake
Summary: The beeping grew louder again but he was hopeful they would make it to their hiding place in time.It was only when the noise grew once again to its peak that Warriors realised that in fact they were too late, and a blast was going to be fired at them again. It was then that he looked panic-stricken at Wind and realised with a jolt of almost paralysing fear that the beam was aimed straight at his chest.He didn’t even have a shield to protect him.Written for Febuwhump, for the prompt, 'Run. Don't look back.'
Relationships: Warriors & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 93





	Guardians

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this so quickly, so apologies for the many mistakes. However, it is just 4500 words of pure overdramatic angst (with a sprinkling of fluff dw) so I hope you enjoy anyway :)

Warriors didn’t like Wild’s Hyrule. It was big and untamed with no rules or common principles and he was used to the rigidity of being a soldier. The monsters fought with little strategy, seeming to have a one-track mind: _attack, kill_. Not that monsters had much in the way of battle tactics anywhere, but here they were random and erratic. It made him uneasy and it meant coming up with approaches to defeat them was very difficult indeed. Not to mention the weather which was almost as unpredictable as the world’s inhabitants. Right now it was steadily pouring with rain, the sky darkened with grey clouds, soaking them to the bone.

They had come off pretty badly in the last fight when they had walked unknowingly into a Moblin camp hidden in the woods and had to unexpectedly take on the onslaught that followed. They were all thoroughly tired out and had used up all their healing potions as well as the fairies they had on them.

Wind had taken a particularly bad hit and although he would never admit it, Warriors could see he was still struggling despite the fairy’s healing powers, seeming to sag under the weight of his equipment as they walked along the path. His feet were starting to drag as he strode on beside Warriors and he almost felt like offering a piggyback, but he knew that would be more demeaning than kind and Wind would never let him anyway.

“Here, I’ll take your shield,” he offered as a compromise.

Wind looked up at him with a hard expression and for a moment he thought he was going to refuse, but then his gaze softened.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” he replied, “here,” he took his shield from him and slid it onto his own back. Wind looked a lot less weighed down now. He always felt sorry for him, having to carry the same amount of equipment as him but being about half the size.

Wind smiled gratefully.

“Thanks,” he said.

They were all silent, just trying to drag their exhausted bodies to a place to rest. It had been a long, hard day.

“There’s a stable just beyond that hill,” Wild said pointing to a large grassy hillock with a couple of horses grazing on top, “we’re close now.”

Even the energetic hero of the Wild was starting to slow. The others nodded wearily, and they continued their subdued walk in silence, nothing but the clanking of armour and weapons and their heavy footsteps on the dirt track. That is until a high-pitched beeping filled the air.

“Er, guys,” called Four, “Why is there a red beam pointed at my chest?”

The effect on Wild was immediate.

“Guardian!” he shouted in uncharacteristic terror. Of course, Warriors had no idea what a Guardian was, but he knew it must have been pretty bad to induce such a reaction from the blonde hero. He followed the beam with his eyes to its source which was perched, half hidden, behind the hill. It was huge and unlike anything he’d ever seen. Big and bulking with legs like a Skulltula, an armoured body that looked impenetrable and a small red eye: the source of the beam.

Wild immediately started running towards it, his bow held firmly out in front of him.

“Take cover!” he shouted, and something about the tone of his voice made the others jump follow the order. It took a lot to rattle Wild, let alone spark this terrified response.

“You heard him,” bellowed Time, “get behind the hill! All of you, run, don’t look back!”

They ran as a group towards the opposite side of the hill; the beeping was getting faster and faster and with it more ominous, and the monster seemed confused by having so many targets and kept switching its red beam between them.

They might have been tired, but the unexpected attack had filled them with adrenaline, and they ran just as fast as they would on a normal day. The Guardian creature was coming swiftly towards them, away from its spot behind the hill and walking creepily on its many metal legs. It was definitely terrifying to behold. Wild was still running towards it, shooting it with arrows. It didn’t seem to do much, the creature didn’t even slow down and it didn’t seem to feel the need to aim its beam at the hero of the wild, still training it on the group running fast down the path. Apparently, he wasn’t much of a threat.

The beeping noise gained in intensity and the Guardian fired a shot exactly where Sky had just been half a second ago, the ground erupting in fire and earth. There would be no surviving that if it hit someone straight on.

Warriors ran at the back of the group, just behind Wind to make sure nobody got left behind. He needn’t have worried though, because despite his previous injuries, even Wind was managing to keep up.

They were close to cover now and they had lost sight of Wild. The last Warriors had seen of him was him brandishing his sword, looking ridiculously tiny next to the ferocious beast. He knew better than to worry too much though. This was Wild’s Hyrule, his familiar territory, and although there was no doubt he could be reckless sometimes, he could take care of himself.

The beeping grew louder again but he was hopeful they would make it to their hiding place behind the hill in time.

It was only when the noise grew once again to its peak that Warriors realised that in fact, they were too late, and a blast was going to be fired at them again. It was then that he looked panic-stricken at Wind and realised with a jolt of almost paralysing fear that the beam was aimed straight at his chest. He didn’t even have a shield to protect him.

“No!” he shouted and threw himself at the young hero. But he didn’t quite make it in time. He was thrown backwards by an earth-wrenching explosion. Fire burned up his arm as the force of it threw him into the air and he hit the ground a distance from the blast.

He must have blacked out for a second because when he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the ground, a high-pitched ringing in his ears and his vision blurry. It was sort of like being underwater, everything seemed distorted and muffled. He groaned slightly as he pulled himself up and with a jolt remembered Wind. He frantically looked around for the boy in the blue tunic, fear gripping his heart, no longer aware of the danger not too far away.

Then he saw him. He was lying on the ground, thrown in the opposite direction to Warriors. He wasn’t moving.

“Wind?” he breathed, his own voice seemed distant and muted and he hardly even dared move.

“Wind?!” he cried a bit louder. His heart was a parade in his chest.

He half crawled over to him, ignoring the pain in his arm, the muffled sounds of the metal monster’s destruction fading into the background. It was only when he got closer that he saw the blood. Copious amounts of it stained the front of the blue tunic and was pooling onto the ground beneath him.

“No, no, no, no, no,” he muttered under his breath, the words echoing in his mind as he ran, stumbling, towards him, because this couldn’t be happening, _this couldn’t be happening_.

With difficulty and an enormous amount of effort, he reached the younger hero and immediately grabbed the front of his tunic, pulling him into himself and off the muddy ground. He just hung limply from Warriors’ grasp, the blood from his chest slick in his grip. His eyes were closed, and his mouth hung slightly open. His skin was so very pale.

“NO!” he shouted as he shook him. He shook him and shook him, but he wasn’t waking up, _why wasn’t he waking up?”_

“Warriors!” someone shouted in the distance, but he ignored it, nothing mattered, nothing at all, except his little brother who he loved more than anything.

“Wind?” he sobbed as he fumbled to put two fingers to his neck. No pulse. He tried again, even though he knew deep down he wouldn’t find one. He’d done this a hundred times before; to strangers, to his friends and now to his family. There was no life in this body anymore.

Despite that, he held one hand to the huge wound and tried to staunch the blood flow. There was so much blood and it dripped slowly to the muddy ground. He tried again for a pulse, putting his ear towards his mouth checking for breath, any signs of life. Eventually there was no choice but to accept the truth.

He wrapped the small hero in his arms - _Hylia, he was so small -_ and held him tight. He brushed the blonde strands of hair out of his face and looked at those familiar big eyes usually filled with wonder and defiance, which were now closed almost peacefully. If it wasn’t for the mess of his torso, he could have been asleep.

Warriors pulled him close into his chest, looked up to the heavens, to the Goddess herself, and let out a deep aching wail, so full of grief and pain it could have brought any man to tears. It tore at his throat and shattered his heart.

Then he simply closed his eyes and sobbed; loud, unreserved weeping, the tears mixing with rainwater and then with blood before they hit the ground.

He vaguely heard the rushing of footsteps approaching and he squeezed Wind even closer, doing anything to protect the little sailor in his arms.

He heard gasps and a couple of cries and a few shouts of “no!” but he only buried himself in the bloody tunic in his arms. Maybe if he held him tight enough, he would come back to him? _Please, please bring him back._

Then he felt hands on his shoulder, and he tried to shake them off, but they were so persistent and wouldn’t go away.

“Warriors? Wars, you need to let go. You need to let Hyrule heal him.”

Heal him? There was no healing him, he was gone, he knew that.

When he made no move to let go, he felt the hands try to pry the boy out of his grip.

“No!” he screamed and clutched him tighter. They weren’t taking him away; no way was he ever going to let that happen.

Hands seized him roughly and pulled him backwards and he screamed as Wind was ripped from his grasp. Someone wrapped their arms around him, holding him back, and he peered through them to watch as Hyrule lent over the small body, and with a pained expression started to flow healing magic into his wound.

Warriors stopped struggling and held his breath, a small glimmer of hope igniting in his chest as he watched the traveller work.

There was a long time where it seemed as if nobody breathed, watching with fear at the scene in front of them. Then Hyrule started to keel over on his knees. Wild, who was standing over the scene with Time and Sky, caught him as he fell, and Time hesitantly took his place over Wind and put two fingers to his neck. After the longest few seconds of Warriors whole life, Time looked up with an expression so broken and lost that they knew even before he shook his head slowly what he had discovered.

Warriors slumped in the grip of Twilight as he heard cries from his comrades. There was no fight left in him, he was utterly lost. Surely this couldn’t be. Surely this was just a bad nightmare. He would wake up soon enough and none of this would have happened.

He knew deep down that wasn’t true

Twilight was clearly holding in sobs and still had his arms wrapped around Warriors even though there was no reason to anymore. Warriors stared hollowly at the empty body of his once good-as-brother. Time had silent tears running down his face, still kneeling over him, Wild was supporting an unconscious Hyrule and held an expression of complete hopelessness, Sky sobbed into Legend’s shoulder who was trying and failing to keep a strong face for his friends, along with Four who stood rigid with shock.

Warriors was numb. There was nothing worse than this. Tears no longer streamed down his face, he just stared blankly at the little body in the grass. It was so still.

But then a miracle happened: Wind started to cough. Wind started to cough, and his chest was moving again. He was _breathing._ Time let out a cry of reprieve and held him in his arms as he continued in his endeavour for breath.

Warriors didn’t move. He didn’t dare hope because a second ago his whole world had been ending and that’s not just something you forget.

Twilight shook him.

“He’s alive, Wars,” he said with a laugh of relief as though he could barely believe it himself, “He’s alive!”

He released himself from Twilight’s grip and started stumbling over to Wild and the others who had crowded around him. Once he reached them, they immediately made room for him and he clutched Wind’s still unconscious body once again. He held him like a lifeline because there was no way he was going to let him get hurt again, there was no way he was going to let him go.

Renewed tears flowed down his face as he smiled, happier than he had ever been before. Wind’s breathing was deep and steady, telling him he was going to be ok.

“I thought you were dead,” he whispered to the sleeping boy, “I thought I’d lost you.”

He stayed like that for a while, weeping with relief amongst his friends. Eventually, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Warriors, you’re injured, we need to take a look at your arm,” came the voice of Time, his words cracked with emotion.

It was then he came into full awareness of his body. A searing pain ripped through his left arm and when he looked at it, he saw it was covered in blood. Funny how things like that didn’t seem that important anymore.

He was shaking as well, and his heart was beating alarmingly fast in his chest.

“Let us take Wind, Wars, he’s going to be ok.”

With that Wind was slowly prised from his grip a second time. Except this time he let them take him. He was going to be alright, that was all that mattered.

He was led to the cover of a copse of trees at the side of the path and sat down. He was feeling lightheaded and clammy and sort of like he was going to throw up. Twilight had carried Wind, and Wild and Legend supported Hyrule and put them down close by, the others hurrying before them to put blankets on the ground for them to lie on. Warriors fixed his eyes on the youngest hero as the others took his bloody tunic off, cleaned the wound and started to bandage his torso. He could see the rise and fall of his chest from here, steady and even and very much alive.

All the while, Sky was kneeling beside him cleaning and bandaging his own wound on his arm. He barely even noticed the pain.

“Wars, look at me,” he said after a while when he was done.

He slowly slid his haze from Wind and looked into Sky’s worried eyes.

“How is he, Sky?” asked Time coming over to check on them.

“His arm will be fine, it isn’t as bad as it looks, but he’s in shock,” he replied, studying his eyes closely.

He wanted to get annoyed at them for speaking about him like he wasn’t there, but he couldn’t seem to muster up the energy. He moved his gaze once again to the sailor who was now wearing a clean shirt Wild took from his slate and was wrapped up in blankets, sleeping peacefully.

Hyrule slept not too far away, also huddled in a pile of blankets. He looked pale but otherwise fine and Legend, who was sitting by his side, didn’t look too concerned.

Warriors felt a blanket being wrapped around his own shoulders and Time clasped his shoulder.

“Get some rest, you’ll be fine in the morning.”

Warriors nodded his head numbly, but he knew really that he wasn’t getting any sleep that night. The rain had slowed to a stop now, all that was left was the _drip, drip_ of the water from the tree canopies hitting the ground. It was getting dark though and he guessed they would just make camp here for the night despite the stable being so near. None of them were in the position to be moving that evening.

But time passed and nobody made a move to set up camp. They all just sat in silence as the sun set, an unspoken acknowledgement that not one of them was going to sleep that night.

The next day was perhaps even more difficult than the last. Hyrule had slept all night and was fine, if not a little bleary eyed in the morning. Wind still wasn’t awake which worried Warriors immensely despite Hyrule’s assurances he would be fine, and he just needed rest to heal. The others were exhausted. None of them had got any sleep and they had just sat round the campfire Wild eventually made in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and still slightly in shock from the near death of their youngest member. Nothing had ever affected them this badly in the past.

Warriors was feeling terrible. Although he was feeling less shaky and definitely more grounded in reality, his arm burned something awful and the lack of sleep had done no wonders. A headache throbbed behind his eyes and his worry for Wind was like a growling monster in his chest. He had moved to sit next to him and held his hand all night. He was never going to let him out of his sight again.

At the first signs of light from the deep red morning sun, the group decided it would be best to make their way to the stable and rest there for as long as it took for Wind to recover. They gathered up their things and Time moved to pick up the unconscious Wind in his arms.

“Let me carry him,” said Warriors. Time stopped and looked at him with something horribly close to pity in his eyes.

“I can’t let you do that Wars, you’re injured,” he replied softly.

“Please,” implored Warriors quietly.

“You’ll injure yourself further, you’re not in any fit state,” said Time with a kind but firm finality. But Warriors wasn’t accepting no as an answer. He had always felt a strong responsibility for Wind, much like Time for Twilight and Twilight for Wild.

“I have to do this, Time,” he said determinedly.

There must have been something in his eyes because Time looked at him for a moment and then sighed.

“Ok,” he said, “but if at any point he gets too heavy you give him to someone else. We won’t think you weak or incapable.”

Warriors gave a small smile in thanks and proceeded to lift Wind from the ground into his arms. He had never been heavy, but the weight still strained his injury. There was something about the pain that felt right though. Like he should be suffering just as much as Wind was. He had failed to save him after all.

Time patted him on the shoulder.

“Take it easy, Warriors,” he said seriously, leaving to pack up his own stuff. Time always had had a way about him that made it seem like he knew what you were thinking. Warriors supposed it was part of why he was such a good leader.

The walk to the stable was a short one. Wind was dead weight in Warriors’ arms and by the end of it his muscles were aching, and his burn was stinging. He hoped more than anything that Wind would wake up sooner rather than later. He was worried about him and what was more he _missed_ him. His buzzing energy, his big smiles, his determination not to be viewed as the weakest of the group just because he was the youngest. He had been so still now for so long it was hard to imagine there being a life in there at all. He shuddered at the thought.

The stable was like all the others in Wild’s Hyrule; a big, weird-looking tent in the shape of a horse. There was a paddock round the back overlooking a river and people were wondering about and talking by the fire. Warriors wondered who had built them all, it must have taken some planning. Just another oddity in the midst all the strangesness in this world.

Wild talked to the guy at the desk who gave them all the beds he had to spare, and Warriors lowered Wind onto one of them once they were inside. Wild then spoke to a peculiar looking man with the biggest rucksack he’d ever seen in his life and purchased a few red potions.

“Hopefully we should have some to spare just in case until we can stock up on more,” he said, handing one to Warriors to give to Wind. It seemed he had become the official guardian of the young hero.

Once he had managed to force most of the potion down Wind’s throat with the help of Hyrule (who was looking much better than he had been that morning), some of the sailor’s colour had come back into his cheeks. He looked a lot healthier and Warriors was feeling a lot more positive.

Hyrule smiled at him.

“He’s going to be absolutely fine you know.”

Warriors just nodded, but the tension that had built up over the past several hours gave no sign of disappearing. This whole experience had showed him just how easy it was for his whole life to fall apart. He didn’t know what he would have done if…

But that hadn’t happened, he didn’t need to think about it.

Wind woke to weak sunlight and soft voices. It had been a while since he’d woken up with a feeling of absolute safety and tranquillity like he was feeling now. The bed was soft beneath him and the air clean and warm. He ached; he realised that as soon as he shuffled his limbs the smallest amount, but it was a dull pain, like the feeling that came after drinking a healing potion…

Actually, come to think of it, he couldn’t really remember what happened yesterday or how he got into a bed in the first place. They usually just camped outside, not wanting to waste money and draw attention to themselves when they didn’t have to.

He looked around the room, eyes fully open. Really it was more of a tent, a big one that smelt slightly of horses.

“Wind?” came a voice and he moved his head blearily to see where it was coming from, “you awake?”

Sky. It was Sky, his voice calming as ever. His blurred figure was walking towards him hesitantly.

“Uh, yeah?” he croaked, his answer coming out more of a question than a statement.

“How are you feeling?”

As Sky’s face became more focused, he could see the tell-tale signs of worry marring his features.

“Okay,” he said, “a bit achy but…” he trailed off, squinting as he tried to remember what might be worrying his friend.

“Um, what happened?” he asked, and Sky’s eyes widened, his feet shuffling nervously where he stood by the bed.

“Oh, well, we had a bit of a run in with one of Wild’s monsters.” He could tell by the way Sky didn’t quite look him in the eye that there was definitely more to that story.

“How bad was it?” he asked seriously. He felt the tell-tale twinge of irritation that came when one of the others were condescending or withheld information from him. He knew he was the youngest, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t look after himself just as well as they could, if not more.

“It was pretty bad, Sailor,” Sky winced, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “In fact… well-“

“Oh, spit it out Sky,” he interrupted mercilessly.

“You died,” Sky replied bluntly.

“O-oh.” His frustration gave way to surprise.

“But there’s no permanent injuries or anything, you’re completely fine now! Or at least you should be… are you?” Sky trailed off uncertainly.

“Yeah, yeah, I said I’m fine,” muttered Wind back, sitting up a bit straighter in the bed. He died? Like actually died? That’s kinda crazy.

“So how did I- er… come back to life?” he asked Sky eventually who was standing and staring at Wind nervously.

“Hyrule brought you back.”

“Ah.”

“It was a close one, though.” Wind didn’t know what to say to that, and luckily he was saved from answering by a shout of “WIND!” from across the tent and an armful of pure muscle and golden hair about two seconds later.

“Wars, careful of your arm! Hylia,” scolded another voice and Wind looked up through Warriors’ arms to see Twilight walking towards them. He gave Wind a lopsided smile when he saw him looking, one that Wind returned happily.

“I really thought I’d lost you,” came the Captain’s voice, muffled from where his face was buried in Wind’s chest and slightly choked as if…

“Wars are you _crying_?!”

“No,” came the immediate response, and then, “Okay, yes, but I’m allowed; you _died_!”

Wind chuckled.

“I’m fine now, I promise,” he reassured, hugging back, touched by his normally pretty composed friend’s reaction.

“I’ve never seen the Captain so antsy,” said Twilight with a grin, “maybe now you’re awake he can finally get some sleep himself.”

“If he ever let’s go,” added Sky.

“I was so worried about you,” sniffled Warriors, finally letting go and straightening up. His eyes were red and swollen and his usually perfect hair a mess. _Wow, he really had that much of an effect on the Captain?_

“What happened to your arm,” asked Wind, only now noticing the bandaged appendage held to his chest in a sling.

“Oh, I was next to you when you got hit. Got me a bit too,” Warriors shrugged with his good arm.

“Are you okay?” Wind knew he had the tendency to underplay his injuries, particularly when others were injured too.

“I am now,” Warriors replied with a watery smile. It was very different to the smile he used daily. There was none of his practised bravado now, just utter sincerity and Wind suddenly felt very lucky to be on the receiving end of it.


End file.
